Page 53 - Football

Morocco's historic Women's World Cup debut inspires girls in the Arab world

The game was sparsely attended; it was midweek and the match wasn't going to be a nail-biter: the Association Sportive des Forces Armees Royales, a powerhouse in women's soccer here, ended up crushing its Moroccan national women's professional league opponent 7-0. One young fan in the stands was excited regardless. Dressed in a jersey reading Morocco in Arabic, 5-year-old Aliae Benazzouza descended to the pitch to meet the players. A favourite of hers, Fatima Tagnaout, who plays for Morocco's national women's team and for the armed forces team known as ASFAR, wrapped her arms around Aliae as they posed for photos. Aliae waved at another player. During the game, she would make her way to the front of the stands for a better view. I was very happy, Aliae said. After years largely in the margins, Moroccan women's soccer is gaining new ground, capturing the imagination of some girls like Aliae, winning the hearts and minds of more parents, and chipping away at a traditional view of so

De Gea's Man Utd exit paves the way for Ten Hag's tactical transformation

Replacing David de Gea won't be easy. No Premier League goalkeeper kept more clean sheets last season than De Gea, who announced his departure on Saturday, and in 12 years at Manchester United he was named the club's player of the year on four occasions. He leaves United as a legend, having been part of its last league title-winning team and lifting four major trophies with the club. But his exit also paves the way for a transition that many fans feel is long overdue. At his best, De Gea was a match-winning shot-stopper with the agility and speed of reaction to pull off astounding saves. In recent years, however, he has looked like a player out of his time as soccer has demanded more from keepers, with Manchester City and Liverpool two standout examples of how the position has been transformed. England's two most dominant teams of the past five years have exploited the ball-playing qualities of their keepers. Ederson, at City, and Alisson, at Liverpool, look as comfortable with t

De Gea will be remembered as one of MAN Utd's best goalkeepers: Ten Hag

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag lauded outgoing goalkeeper David de Gea, saying that he will be remembered as one of the club's best goalkeepers in history. de Gea was at MAN Utd for 12 seasons

AIFF club licensing panel holds meet, mulls exemption for Premier 1 sides

The exemption requests were made by three Premier 1 clubs including Hyderabad FC, North East United FC, and East Bengal FC

Messi's Inter Miami's winless streak hits 10 after 2-2 tie with DC United

Taxiarchis Fountas scored a goal and followed with an assist on Nigel Robertha's equalizer to help D.C. United earn a 2-2 draw with Inter Miami on Saturday night after a scoreless first half. Inter Miami has now gone a club-record 10 straight matches without a victory. Robertha's first goal of the season came in the 77th minute when he used assists from Ruan and Fountas to pull DC United (8-9-6) even. Inter Miami (5-13-3) had taken a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute on an unassisted goal by defender Noah Allen. It was the first goal of the 19-year-old defender's career. Allen has made eight starts and 15 appearances in two seasons with the club. Neither team found the net until Benjamin Cremaschi took a pass from Robert Taylor in the 59th minute and scored his first career goal to give Inter Miami a 1-0 lead. The 18-year-old midfielder has made 13 starts and 17 appearances in his rookie campaign. Fountas knotted the score in the 65th minute. Cristian Djome and Yamil Asad had assists on

Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi club Al-Nassr hires Portuguese coach Lus Castro

Cristiano Ronaldo got a new club coach on Thursday when Al-Nassr announced it hired his fellow Portuguese Lus Castro. The Saudi Arabian club confirmed the appointment from a preseason training camp in Portugal. The length of the coach's contract was not disclosed. Castro is the latest coaching hire this week in the cash-rich Saudi Pro League, following Jorge Jesus at Al-Hilal and Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq. The 61-year-old Portuguese is best known for his two seasons in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk including home and away wins over Real Madrid in the group stage of the 2020-21 Champions League. He spent last season in Brazil with Botafogo. Castro will lead Al-Nassr into a qualifying playoff for the Asian Champions League next month after the team finished runner-up last season in the Saudi Pro League. The champion Al-Ittihad was coached by another Portuguese, Nuno Esprito Santo. Al-Nassr was coached last season by Frenchman Rudi Garcia then Dinko Jelicic of Croatia as an interi

PSG fires coach Christophe Galtier, replaces him with Luis Enrique

Paris Saint-Germain fired coach Christophe Galtier after a disappointing season on Wednesday and replaced him with former Spain and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique. Enrique was introduced at a press conference hours after Galtier was dismissed. Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said his arrival will mark the start of a "new cycle, with a new style of play." PSG in an earlier statement thanked Galtier, who had one year left to run on his contract, "for his professionalism and commitment." Galtier's assistants Thierry Oleksiak and Joo Sacramento were also been fired. In its so far ill-fated quest for Champions League glory, PSG appointed an eighth coach in 12 years of Qatari ownership, with World Cup top scorer Kylian Mbapp set to play for a fifth coach since joining in 2017. Enrique has been without a contract since Spain's elimination from the World Cup last year. The 53-year-old coach took over the national team in 2018 to start revamping the squad after its elimination in the ro

SAFF Cup Final: India win their ninth title, beat Kuwait 5-4 on penalties

Indian football team lifted its nith South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship trophy after the Igor Stimac-managed side beat Kuwait 5-4 on penalties. The regulation time finished 1-1

AIFF passes Rs 134 crore budget, conference style I-League to be introduced

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday passed a budget of Rs 134 crore -- an increase of nearly 50 crore from last year -- for 2023-24 during its Annual General Meeting in Bengaluru. The AIFF budget for 2022-23 was Rs 87 crore, which its general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran had termed "meagre" for a big country like India. "Yes, we passed a budget of Rs 134 crore (a raise of exactly 54 percent) for 2023-24 financial year. Last year's budget was Rs 87 crore," AIFF's finance committee chairman Menla Ethenpa told PTI. Ethenpa, who is also the Sikkim Football Association president, attended the AGM, the first under the new dispensation led by president Kalyan Chaubey. He took charge in September last year. The AGM also approved the appointment of a statutory auditor to audit the accounts of the federation and the financial statements and audit reports of 2022-23. Representatives from 34 member state associations and two affiliate members -- Railways Sports Promotion Board

AIFF Awards: Chhangte, Manisha named men's and women's Players of Year

India and Mumbai City FC winger Lallianzuala Chhangte Chhangte was on Tuesday named the AIFF Men's Footballer of the Year, on the back of his impressive performance in the Indian Super League (ISL) and for the national team. The 26-year-old Mizoram player featured in 12 matches during the international season for India, scoring two goals and providing one assist in the 2022-23 season. He beat national team-mates Nandhakumar Sekar and Naorem Mahesh Singh to the coveted award. Chhangte, who is currently doing national duty in the SAFF Championships here, played in 22 matches during Mumbai City FC's ISL Winners' Shield-winning campaign last season and scored 10 goals while providing six assists. He also netted seven goals in seven matches in the Durand Cup last season, while also scoring one goal in three games in the Super Cup. Manisha Kalyan was named as the AIFF Women Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) after its Annual General Meeting here. The 21-year-

Neymar fined $3.33 million for constructing a lake in his mansion

Neymar's house, located in the town of Mangaratiba on the southern coast of the national capital, has a heliport, spa, and gym among other facilities

FIFA Women's World Cup: Entering sixth, Brazil's Marta says its her last

Going into her sixth World Cup, Brazil star Marta said that this will be her last. The 37-year-old Marta is widely considered one of the best players in the history of women's soccer but has yet to lift the World Cup trophy in five previous attempts. Yes, it will be my last World Cup," Marta told journalists in Brasilia on Monday, shortly before the squad boarded a plane to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. We have to understand that a time comes for us to prioritize other things. Brazil coach Pia Sundhage said in an interview with The Associated Press last month that Marta, who has been the world player of the year six times, may not be in the starting lineup for Brazil right away while she continues to recover from a left knee injury. Marta played for a few minutes on Sunday, when Brazil beat Chile 4-0 in its last friendly before the trip. I can only be thankful to have lived all those years in the national team," added Marta, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer w

SAFF Cup Final: India up against Kuwait for ninth sub-continental title

India will be playing their 13th SAFF Championship (Cup) final and hoping to get to the ninth title when the Blue Tigers take on Kuwait on July 04 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru

SAFF C'ship: India in final post thrilling penalty shoot-out vs Lebanon

In a very tense SAFF Championship semi-final, which involved six yellow cards and a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner, India went past Lebanon. They will meet Kuwait in final

Don't know when will be my last game for India, says Sunil Chhetri

India skipper and mercurial striker Sunil Chhetri on Friday played down the talks about his retirement saying he has not put any timeline for himself to bid adieu to the game. Chhetri is 38 but still continues to be the spearhead of Indian attack, evidenced by the five goals he netted in the ongoing SAFF Championship from three matches. "I don't know when my last game for the country is going to be. It derives from the fact that I have never had long-term targets, I think about next match, next 10 days. It (retirement) may come at a day when probably I don't want to, as there are a lot of things, and I will be done. Till that time, I never think about it," Chhetri said on the eve of India's semifinal against Lebanon. Chhetri, the second highest goal-scorer from Asia with 91 goals, said he has set some parameters for himself to determine about hanging his boots. "Generally, there are some parameters that I think about... whether I am contributing to the team or not, whether I am abl

SAFF Championship: India bank on Chhetri magic to overcome Lebanon in semis

India will bank on the striking prowess of their talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri to tame a formidable Lebanon in the SAFF Championship semifinal here on Saturday. India, the defending champions, entered the semis as the second-placed team behind Kuwait from Group A while Lebanon topped Group B in their march to the last-four stage. Chhetri has been India's primary weapon in this tournament, as he has so far netted five goals from three matches to sit on top of the goal-scorers' list. The count of goals includes a hat-trick against Pakistan. The sensational tumbling volley against Kuwait during India's last league match underlined his still burning desire to lead the team's charge. Chhetri will have to be on top of his game for India to hurdle over the Lebanon challenge, and this is not to say that others will have a lesser role. The likes of Sahal Abdul Samad, Mahesh Singh and Udanta Singh will have to up the ante to support their skipper. All of them have had their moments in the

SAFF Championship: Lebanon tops Group B, will face India in the semifinal

Lebanon set up a semifinal clash against hosts India with a 1-0 win over Maldives in a Group B match of the SAFF Championship here on Wednesday. Skipper Hassan Maatouk struck the all-important goal with his curling freekick in the 24th minute. Lebanon have topped the group with an all-win record in the four-team group. Lebanon will take on India in the battle for the summit clash on Saturday. The two teams met recently in the final of the Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneswar, where India emerged the winners. The Maldives, ranked 154 in the FIFA Men's rankings, were hoping to punch above its weight by winning against Lebanon, whom they have never beaten in previously. Having already sealed their last-four berth, Lebanon head coach Aleksandar Ilic rested a few of his regular players including Karim Darwich. Lebanon started the match on a positive note, keeping plenty of possession and trying to stretch the Maldives defence. The deadlock was finally broken when Lebanon was awarded

SAFF Championship: Lebanon crush Bhutan, move closer to the semi-finals

Lebanon moved closer to the semifinals of the SAFF Championship with a commanding 4-1 victory over Bhutan at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Saturday. Lebanon came to the match as the favourites and they underscored that status with chilling authority, slamming in four goals in the first half itself. With six points and a match to go against Maldives on June 28, Lebanon are on top of Group B and that much nearer to a last-four berth. Bangladesh and Maldives have three points apiece and they are also in the race to enter the semifinals. With two defeats from as many matches Bhutan are out of contention. On a night when the skies opened up with vengeance, Lebanon went ahead as early as in the 11th minute through Mohamad Sadek. Ali Al Haj swelled the scoreline to 2-0 in the 23rd minute, beating a diving Bhutan goalkeeper T Dendup with a sweet first-touch shot from inside the box. Lebanon seemed to have perfectly understood the group equations as they pressed on for more goals and

SAFF Cup: Bangladesh beat Maldives, keep themselves in semis contention

Bangladesh kept themselves in the hunt for a semifinal berth in the SAFF Championship with a gritty 3-1 win over Maldives here on Sunday. Hamza Mohammad (17th minute) put Maldives in front but Bangladesh struck back through Rakib Hossain (42nd minute), Tariq Kazi (67th minute) and Shekh Morsalin (90th minute) to collect three important points in a Group B match. Maldives also have three points, courtesy their 2-0 win over Bhutan in the first match. Now, both Maldives and Bangladesh are in a must-win situation against Lebanon, who also have 3 points, and Bhutan in their respective last league matches on June 28. Despite a win was mandatory for them to stay afloat, Bangladesh did not show much urgency in the initial stages of the match. Maldives made full use of that laxity to go ahead through Hamza. The goal seemed to have made Bangladesh players realise the need to be more proactive, and it reflected in their moves. They mounted quick counter attacks and closed ranks whenever Mald

SAFF Championship: Sahal, Mahesh make mark for Team India in the tournament

Amid the loud cheers that have often been reserved for talismanic Sunil Chhetri, two young footballers were quietly making their mark during India's SAFF Championship campaign so far. It's not that Sahal Abdul Samad and Mahesh Singh are unfamiliar names to Indian football afficionados, but they validated their potential to carry forward a rich legacy in Indian football. The duo were particularly impressive against a gritty Nepal whom India beat 2-0 Saturday night at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to book a semifinal berth. Nepal had erected a defensive hurdle in front of India for a good one hour and the home side needed a moment of inspiration to break free. It came in the 61st minute. Mahesh made a run through the left flank and made a pass to Sahal, who pushed the ball back to the former around a Nepalese defender, setting him free. With oodles of space to work with, Mahesh sent the ball to an unmarked Chhetri inside the box with a laser-guided cross and the Indian captain was nev